One of my favorite events every year is the Garden Party at the Reading Hospital.
In addition to benefitting a great cause, the organizers always bring in some of the best in local eats. This year, they brought in some of the area’s best food trucks, including Gourmand, the Potato Coop, Scott’s Hot Spot and the Gilbertsville-based WOW Wagon.
Julie and I made our way through the sea of people, trying to decide where to go. The WOW Wagon was at the end of the row, and with no line, it was an easy choice for two people who were ready to eat.
I first tried the WOW Wagon a year ago at the VF Outlet Center Food Truck Festival. That day’s menu featured artisan pizzas, like the white pizza with broccoli, green peppers and sun-dried tomatoes that I got to enjoy.
But the menu is ever-changing, and at the Garden Party, there were no pizzas to be had.
Instead, they offered a six-item, limited menu that included an item called Pig Dippers that sounded too good to pass up.
The fair food-inspired treats featured candied maple bacon, rolled in funnel cake batter and deep-fried (topped with obligatory powdered sugar).
Pig Dippers are also sometimes referred to simply as cholesterol. Delicious cholesterol.
Biting into one is a truly unique taste experience. First, you have that familiar funnel cake flavor. Then you get the bacon, with strong maple overtones. It’s a sweet and savory explosion. Together, it was almost reminiscent of breakfast.
They came in orders of two. I thought when I finished that I would need something else to eat. I didn’t. I felt great after eating one. The second one was almost too much, too heavy (but I finished it anyway).
Also on the menu during our visit was something completely different: lobster rolls.
The New England specialty was meaty and delicious. The roll was overstuffed with chunks of lobster meat and one lone slice of lettuce to add a bit of crunch.
It wasn’t quite like getting a fresh lobster roll in Maine, but it was darn good for Pennsylvania.
During the Garden Party, all purchases are made in tickets, but our total worked out to be around $20 (this did not include drinks, which had to be purchased from another stand).
The WOW Wagon definitely brought a wow factor to its items on this day.
I don’t know that my heart could take another order of Pig Dippers, but I will definitely keep an eye out for the WOW Wagon at future events.
BCE Rating
Food: Good
Service: Good
Ambiance: N/A
Price: Reasonable
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